


Together

by DeathAssassinFaerie



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-17
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2018-02-04 23:47:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1797784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeathAssassinFaerie/pseuds/DeathAssassinFaerie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Clary was younger, she was abused and beaten. Now she lives with her godfather and brother in a bookstore. When a certain arrogant angel comes along does he rip her apart or mend her? Will Jonathan let Jace get close enough to Clary after finding our what he did? AU AH</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A loud knocking on my door woke me up from my restless slumber. I groaned and stumbled out of bed. Before I even got close, the door swung open revealing my twin brother, Jonathan. He had white-blond hair and dark eyes that seemed almost black. He was the spitting image of our father, Valentine Morgenstern. Valentine Morgenstern was a cruel, unruly father and husband. He beat his wife, my mother Jocelyn, and myself. Jonathan never knew what was going on because Valentine would abuse us while he was out. Fortunately for us, Jonathan had come back early from football practice and found Valentine giving us a harsh beating. Jonathan had kicked the crap out of him and called the cops.

It had been three years since Valentine was thrown in jail and our mother passed away. Valentine had hit a vital organ and given her internal bleeding. Jonathan and I have been living with our godfather, Luke Garroway, ever since.

"You ready for school, Clare?" he asked, stepping fully into my room. "Luke made French toast and black coffee for you."

I granted him with a small smile. "I'll be down in a few minutes. Tell Luke I said thanks."

Jonathan nodded and stepped out. I shut the door and briskly walked to my closet. I pulled out a dark green dress and silver heels. After slipping them on, I quickly ran a brush through my untamable curls and put some eyeliner on. Without looking at my reflection in the mirror, I ran down the steps to the kitchen. Luke was sitting at the table with Jonathan eating French toast. There was a place set for me across from the two of them.

Both Jonathan and I ate quickly due to the amount of time we had. Once we finished, we bid Luke goodbye and set out. Jonathan had to pick up his friend Jordan along with my best friend Simon. Simon and I said our goodbyes to the boys as soon as we arrived at Alicante High. The both of us hopped out of the car, but before we could really escape, Jonathan called me back.

"Be careful, Clare. If anyone says anything just let me know." I nodded as he kissed the top of my head.

The day that Jonathan had found Valentine beating me and our mother, I had been given a jagged scar that ran from my temple and down my cheek. The kids in school didn't so much mind it because Jonathan and I had come up with a cover story. Sometimes, though, there were kids that wanted to mess with me because they thought it would be funny. Well, it wasn't funny to them when Jonathan kicked their asses.

My first class of the day was History. It was taught by Mrs. Branwell. She was one of my favorite teachers because she had such an insight and passion for history. It was interesting to watch her teach. I sat in the back with empty seats surrounding me. There weren't many kids in this class since it's an AP class.

I was drawing in my sketchpad when I heard an angelic voice talking to Mrs. Branwell. A tap on my shoulder made me look up. Golden eyes stared back at me. The boy in front of me had golden hair and a strong, muscular build. He was smirking devilishly.

"No need to keep staring. I know I'm stunningly attractive," he said.

I scoffed. "Go away."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "My name's Jace Herondale." He raised his hand as if he wanted me to shake it.

"Clary Morgenstern," I said distastefully. To be honest, I hated my last name. "Now could you go?"

Jace shook his head. "Sorry, Red, but my seat is officially back here with you." I stared at him in disbelief. He had so many seats to choose from! Why did he have to pick one that was next to me?

"B-but─"

"Miss Morgenstern, if you would please let Mr. Herondale get to his seat."

"Sorry," I muttered.

As soon as the bell rang to alert us that the period was over, I gathered my things and rushed out of History. My next class was Art, which was basically a free period for me since I could finish the project in no time. Unfortunately, I couldn't get far enough away. Someone seized my bicep and I squeaked. It was Jace. I ripped my arm from his grasp and ran off.

Lunch came around pretty quickly. I was sitting with Simon when I heard whispers erupt from the kids around me. They were talking about my scar. Anger bubbled up inside me. Then the pointing started and the tears welled up in my eyes. Jonathan chose that moment to walk into the cafeteria. He saw what was happening and whistled loudly. Even from across the cafeteria, you could feel the fury radiating off of him.

"If any of you make fun of my sister again, you won't live to see the next day," he threatened.

Why were they doing this? They'd never done it before. I searched the sea of kids and spotted the culprit. Jace Herondale sat on the table smirking. I stood up and ran out of the cafeteria. The side of my face ached. I'm not sure why, but it did that at times. Always a constant reminder of what happened. I heard footfalls closing in on me, two pairs in front and two in back. They cornered me. Fortunately, it was Simon, Jordan, Jonathan, and Magnus. I collapsed to the ground and sobbed.

"I'm never going to be able to get away from what's happened! It's always going to haunt me," I sobbed.

Jonathan scooped me into his arms and tried to hush me. "Everything is going to be okay. Once we're out of school and out of this town, I promise that you'll get over it." Luke was moving into his farmhouse at the end of our senior year. Jonathan and I were excited to get out of this town and leave all of our horrid memories behind. Sadly, that meant leaving our closest friends.

Magnus bent down to our height. "You guys are really going to leave?" I nodded slightly. Magnus held his head high in defiance. "Then we'll just have to follow our little biscuit and her brother."

I giggled, tears dried up and everything that happened today forgotten. Magnus took my hand and helped me to my feet. Jordan gave me a lopsided grin. "He's right you know."

"Damn straight," Simon piped.

The clicking of heels echoed in the hallway, startling the five of us. A girl with long black hair and dark eyes stood in front of us. She smiled sheepishly and introduced herself. "My name is Isabelle Lightwood, but you can call me Iz or Izzy. I'm sorry to interrupt, but can someone point me in the direction of the cafeteria? This is my first day at Alicante High."

I opened my mouth to answer, but Simon stumbled to the front of the group and ran a hand through his hair. "I'd be happy to show you."

Both mine and Jonathan's head shook in amusement. "How about we  _all_ head back to the cafeteria? I'm sure that you'd like to finish eating." Jonathan directed the last bit at me. I nodded and trailed behind as everyone turned and headed back.

The new girl, Isabelle, fell behind to talk to me. "What's your name?"

"Clary Morgenstern," I replied with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Clary," Isabelle returned my smile. "Would you like to come over my house this afternoon?"

I bit my lip. Jonathan probably wouldn't let me. "I'll have to ask," I said.

She nodded and asked, "Can I see your phone?" Not seeing the harm, I pulled out my phone and handed it to her. Moments later she returned it. "There. Now you have my number." By now we were outside the cafeteria and I refused to go in. Isabelle gave me a questioning glance. "Why aren't you following your friends?"

Before I had the chance to answer her, Jonathan turned around and grasped my hand, pulling me forward. Isabelle followed closely behind. The six of us sat at a table that had just recently been emptied by Magnus and Jordan. Simon was too busy drooling over Isabelle to really notice anything else. I rolled my eyes and sat next to my brother, Isabelle taking a seat next to me.

"Oh!" Isabelle exclaimed. "Do you guys mind if my brothers sit with us?"

We responded with a chorus of 'we don't mind'. Isabelle gave us a nod as her thanks and texted who I guessed to be her brothers. Soon enough, two guys were sauntering over. One of them happened to be Jace. My eyes narrowed and my body tensed. The other boy looked similar to Isabelle. He had black hair and blue eyes, and their features were very similar. They both took a seat in front of us. Jace openly stared at me while the boy turned to Isabelle.

"Introductions?" he asked.

Jordan started. "My name is Jordan Kyle and I'm the wide receiver on the football team."

Next was Magnus. "Magnus Bane at your service." He winked at the boy. "I am the person in charge of all uniforms for the sports teams."

Then Jonathan. "My name is Jonathan Morgenstern and I'm the starting quarterback."

I stuck out my hand for him to shake. "Clary Morgenstern, artist and creator of the school's official design." The boy shook my hand.

Simon waved slightly. "Simon Lewis, key master." I laughed. He was such a nerd.

The boy blinked, absorbing the information given to him. "Well, I'm Alec Lightwood. It seems that you already know my sister, Isabelle."

We nodded and I chose that moment to turn to Jonathan. "Isabelle invited me over later. Can I go?"

He gave me a look. "Are you sure that's the best idea?"

I sighed. "Please? She seems really nice."

"She could be an ax murderer."

Isabelle said, "That's always an option."

Jonathan ran a hand through his hair. "Only for an hour."

I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thank you!"

Jace was still staring at me when I pulled away. This was getting annoying and rude. I shot him a look, but that didn't stop him. Instead of paying attention to the fact that he was staring at me, I absorbed myself in getting to know Isabelle. She was different than any girl I know. Isabelle wasn't interested in shoes or shopping. Yes, she enjoyed those things, but she wasn't obsessed. She was obsessed with fandoms, actually. Doctor Who, Sherlock, Divergent, and a bunch of others that I, myself, am obsessed with. We were going to get along great.

The bell rang before we knew it. Magnus kissed the top of my head before heading to Science class. He and Jordan had Science while the rest of us had Physical Education. That included Alec, Isabelle, and unfortunately Jace. Jonathan flanked my right while Simon flanked my left. That's how we walked to most classes we had together. It was just an instant reaction.

The rest of the day went by rather quickly. Before I knew it, I was standing next to Isabelle inside her gigantic house. Luke's bookstore seemed so tiny compared to this mansion. She led me up the winding staircase and into her room. It was bigger than mine by a landslide. She had a four poster, mahogany bed with ivory sheets laying on top. Her walls were a crimson red.

"Your room is so pretty," I whispered and spun on my heel slowly to get a good look at the entire room. There was a door on the opposite side of the room that led to the bathroom. The funny part about her room was the giant posters of Benedict Cumberbatch and Theo James. There was also a giant Tardis book case. "Okay, I'm so jealous. You have a Tardis in your bedroom that holds all of your books."

Isabelle grinned. "But, Clary, it's bigger on the inside."

My eyes widened. What could she possibly mean? Isabelle went over and pulled on one of the books. The shelves slid forward and out. It opened to a whole other room. "This. Is. Awesome!"

 


	2. Chapter 2

Jonathan had been true to his word. He came for me an hour after I arrived at Isabelle's. Luckily, Jace hadn't bothered us at all. For which I was thankful for. I don't think I could have handled him. Especially after what he did.

"Hey, sis," Jonathan smiled. "Ready to go?"

I pursed my lips and shrugged. "I guess." I said my goodbyes and made my way to the passenger seat of Jonathan's car. As soon as Jonathan pulled away from the curb, I squealed. The car swerved before continuing straight again. "She had a Tardis bookshelf that opened up to a room that looked exactly like the inside of the Tardis!"

Jonathan chuckled. "Really? You must have loved that. I know how much you like that show. Especially when that Tennant fellow was the Doctor."

Grinning, I nodded vigorously. "It was amazing! We stayed in there the entire time. The hour literally flew by. Isabelle asked if I could go back tomorrow, but for longer."

The car grew silent after I asked my question. Jonathan glanced sideways at me. "Do you like her? Think she's nice?"

"Yeah," I answered quietly.

He nodded. "Okay. You can stay. Tomorrow is Friday so if you want to sleep over just let me know. I'll pack a night bag for you and bring it over." I beamed at my brother. I can't believe he's going to let me stay over. The only person I've ever had a sleep over with was Simon. "But I'm going to have Alec and Jace sleep over at our house so I know who you're over there with." I knew he wouldn't have let me stay without a compromise, but this was an okay compromise.

It was time for bed before I knew it. Thankfully, I didn't have any nightmares to deal with. Usually I got away without having nightmares, but sometimes I wasn't so lucky. I woke up on my own the next day and I began to dress quickly. In the middle of getting dressed, I made my way to the floor length mirror I had on the bathroom door. There were long scars running along my sides and across my stomach. Valentine had decided to use a knife one day. It hadn't ended well.

The scar on my face was so obvious. Isabelle hadn't even asked how I received it. I knew she saw it. I mean, who couldn't see it? Jace got the entire cafeteria talking about it. I hated it. It was a reminder of the pain and torture I had gone through. The scar was also a reminder of how our mother died.

Jonathan came to wake me up shortly after I finished getting dressed. He was surprised to see me up and dressed. "I'll meet you downstairs then. Luke made pancakes and Isabelle showed up with her brothers."

I sighed and headed down. Isabelle was sitting at the table having a conversation with Luke while Alec and Jace stood by the door talking in hushed voices. All conversations stopped once I walked in with Jonathan behind me. Luke smiled at the both of us and motioned to our usual seats, pancakes already on the table. I took a seat next to Isabelle and began to eat my pancakes, at one point offering her some which she kindly turned down.

Alec was the only one keeping an eye on the time so he told us when it was time to head to school. I still didn't know why they were at our house, but I shrugged it off. Isabelle climbed into Jonathan's car with me. As we were pulling out of the driveway, I decided it was a perfect time to ask Isabelle what they had been doing at the house.

"So, Isabelle, why were you and your brothers at my house?"

"I just wanted to talk to Luke. Jonathan texted me last night about a sleep over and I wanted to make sure Luke knew who I was and what my intentions were going to be."

I looked toward her. "Are you taking me on a date? Because that's totally what it sounds like."

Isabelle laughed. "I didn't mean for it to come out like."

Jonathan was shaking his head and laughing by the looks of it. I settled back in the passenger seat. There was an eerie silence in the car the rest of the way to school. Jonathan and Isabelle got out of the car first. I stayed for a moment thinking about school. I didn't want to go in, but I knew I had to. Jonathan wouldn't force me. Neither would Luke, but they'd be concerned as to why I wasn't going into school.

After a few moments, I slid out of the passenger side and slammed the door shut. My mood turned sour as soon as I saw Jace walking toward us. Out of nowhere, I was picked up and thrown over a shoulder. Glitter covered said person's back. It was obviously Magnus. Magnus was the only one I knew who wore glitter. Well. . . At least this much. Maybe Aline or Kaelie wore glitter. Probably not.

"Magnus, put me down!" I hissed. "My shirt is going to ride up and─"

He put me down and patted my head. His eyes were apologetic. "Sorry, biscuit. I forgot."

"It's fine," I muttered and pushed through everyone to walk into school. Someone ran up beside me and touched my shoulder. My head whipped to the side to find golden eyes staring at me with concern.

"Clary, what's─"

My body tensed. Why was he concerned? He started the whispers yesterday! "Get away from me," I said shakily.

Shock filled his eyes and he stopped walking. I practically ran into the school. The bell chimed and I realized I wouldn't make it to my locker in time before History started. This time I did run. I got to class in time, but I ran into Sebastian Verlac. He had messy black hair and dark eyes. Sebastian grabbed my wrist tightly making me gasp in pain. He let go of it and apologized. "I am so sorry! I didn't want you to fall." I nodded and tried to slip by, but he stopped me. "I actually wanted to ask you if you'd like to go out for dinner tonight."

"No, she wouldn't," Jace's voice came from behind me. "She's actually got plans."

Sebastian looked at me questioningly. I sighed. "He's right, but maybe another time?"

This time Sebastian nodded and let me slip by. Jace followed close behind. "Why are you going out with him?"

"Why do you care?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "You like to ruin people's lives anyway."

Jace raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean? What have I ever done to you?"

"You said those things," I cried. "You─ you caused all the whispering and pointing in the cafeteria! And you  _dare_  ask me what you've done to me? I have trouble as it is keeping people from talking about my scar." Okay, so that was a bit of a lie. "Then you had to come along and mess it up!"

He ran a hand through his hair before cupping my face between his hands. "Clary, that wasn't me."

Although before I could ask him who did it, Mrs. Branwell came into the classroom and told everyone to sit down. Then she began her teaching. Jace kept trying to get my attention throughout the lesson, but my mind was wondering. If Jace didn't do it then who did? Why would anyone dare? Especially because Jonathan is my brother.

The bell rang in record time. Or at least it felt like it was record time. After that, classes flew by. I avoided everyone at all costs. Jonathan watched me carefully from afar along with Magnus. I could see them watching. Earlier in the day I saw Simon following Isabelle around like a lost puppy. It was sad to watch, but amusing at the same time. Jace backed off after he realized I no longer wanted to talk.

I sat in my last period class staring out the window. There was still a half hour left, but I couldn't stand sitting still any longer. I gathered my stuff and walked to the teacher's desk. "May I go to the nurse?"

The teacher gave me a look of concern, but nodded nonetheless. I quickly walked the halls to my locker. After getting what I needed, I made my way to the class that Jonathan was currently in. I spotted him looking bored in the back of the class. He just so happened to look my way and raised an eyebrow. I motioned for him to come with me. Jonathan nodded and stood up. I couldn't hear what he was saying to the teacher, but I figured he asked to go to the nurse. I stepped back from the door and started my way back down the hall. Jonathan joined me moments later. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against his side.

"What's wrong, Clare? You've been acting weird all day." Concern was prominent in his voice. "Did someone say something again? Because if they did, I'll beat them."

I shook my head. "No one said anything. . . Not really. They don't care about my scar. Jon, I just want everything to be normal. I wish that we never had a father that beat his kid and wife. I want mom back, Jon," I choked. "It's not fair! Why did it have to be her?" I dropped my things and buried myself in Jonathan's chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around me and held me as I cried.

It really wasn't fair. I knew everything happened for a reason, but to take a mother away from her children in an evil, cruel way was ridiculous. Jonathan didn't take the beating we did. He called the vile man father even when I flinched away from him. Sure, he didn't know, but could there have been ways he found out sooner? Could we have saved our mom?

"Shhh," Jonathan tried to sooth me, but to no avail. I was shaking in his grasp, images from that fateful day flashing in my mind.

Valentine standing over our mother with an evil smile on his face and a dark glint in his eyes. I was huddled in the corner clutching my face. Valentine had already scarred me. He squatted, eye level with our mom, and showed her the blood dripping off the silver blade of the knife. I screamed at him to stop. That this wasn't right. But he didn't listen. He threw the knife toward me and I tucked just in time. Valentine stood and began kicking her continuously. She screamed in pain and agony. I crawled to the knife and picked it up, about to do something that would save us all. Unfortunately, Valentine saw me move and growled. He lunged and me and began to beat me like he beat our mother. That was when Jonathan had come into the house.

"Clary, snap out of it!" When I focused, I found myself staring into golden eyes.

At that moment, it didn't matter who was holding me. Only that I had once again relived my nightmare. I sobbed and let Jace hold me. "He killed her," I sobbed. "It's all his fault she's dead." All the noise that I hadn't noticed I'd been engulfed in stopped. It got eerily quiet. Still, I paid little attention. Jace was rubbing my back soothingly and trying to get me to tell him what I meant. I pulled back and sniffled. "I watched it," I whispered. "I watched him kick her over and over and over. He wasn't going stop. I knew he wasn't. He advanced on me when I tried to stop it! B-but Jon saved me. H-he was too late for her." Black dots danced in my vision. Jace's image flickered. He became Valentine in a matter of seconds, but I was out of it. I couldn't push him away. So I let the darkness consume me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um so I am so terribly sorry. It turns out I've had this chapter done for a long time and I guess I didn't post it to here. I'm halfway through the fourth chapter actually so I'll have that up soon enough. Thank you guys for reviewing and stuff :)

Sunlight poured in from a window near me. My eyes fluttered open and I took in the scene before me. Jonathan was sitting on a chair with his head in his hands while Magnus and Simon sat against the wall. I groaned as I sat up. My whole body hurt. This usually was the way I felt after I passed out. To this day, I still haven’t figured out why. Jonathan’s head snapped up.

                “Why was Jace holding me?” I asked out of the blue.

                “I called him. He said he went through this before and I left him hold you. Well . . . actually he offered and I allowed him to. I didn’t think you’d mind.” I closed my eyes and leaned back against my pillows. The bed dipped and a hand landed on my leg. “Clary,” Jonathan spoke quietly, “what happened?”

                My eyes opened, but I refused to look him in the eye. “I saw Valentine.” I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling the tears reappearing. “I saw everything that happened when mom died. I _relived_ it, Jon. _Relived the day mom died._ I-I didn’t know how to stop the flashbacks.”

                Jonathan pulled me into his arms and held me tightly. “It’s okay. You’re okay now. No one is going to hurt you ever again.”

                “But what if someone does? What if they get rid of you and hurt me?”

                “I will never let that happen.”

                I nodded and let him hold me. Magnus and Simon woke up while I was still in Jonathan’s embrace. They didn’t rush over or give me pitying look. Instead they smiled and stood up, waiting for me to pull away from Jonathan. Moments later I did. Then they rushed over. They opened their mouths, but Isabelle and Alec barged in.

                The Lightwood siblings looked worried. “What happened, Clary?” Isabelle asked, hurrying over.

                “I just passed out,” I said honestly. She didn’t specifically ask about what part she wanted.

                Isabelle was not fazed. She shook her head. “You know what I’m talking about. Jace wouldn’t say anything because it wasn’t his story to tell. Although I’m pretty sure he barely knows anything as it is. So, I repeat, what happened?”

                Magnus butted in. “She passed out. That’s all. It was nothing spectacular. Clary mumbles before she passes out so he probably heard something that he thought was true. Anything Clary mumbles is part of that fantasy world she gets sucked into daily.

                Obviously not buying it, Isabelle nods slowly, dropping the topic. “But you’re okay, right? No bumps, bruises, etcetera?”

                I smiled broadly at Isabelle. “I’m all good.”

                Alec grinned back. “That’s fantastic to hear. Maybe now Jace will stop worrying.”

                “Why didn’t he come with you guys?”

                “Max wanted Jace to drive him to his playdate. Trust me, Jace wanted to come. He wanted to make sure that you were all right for himself.”

                I nodded in response and waited for someone to speak. It was getting awkward. “You’re still going to sleep over tonight, right?” Once again I nodded and was met with a squeal. “Okay, Alec and I will go home and get things set up. Besides, Alec and Jace still have to pack an overnight bag for your house.”

                “See you guys later,” I called after them as they left.

                As soon as we heard the door slam, indicating that they had left, Magnus and Simon once again rushed over. “Are you okay? How much of it did you see this time?”

                Tears welled up in my eyes and I bit my lip to hold back my tears, willing myself not to cry. “It stopped as soon as Jonathan walked into the house. Valentine was in the middle of beating me and─” A sharp pain erupted in my side initiating me to cry out. My hands immediately flew to my side. When I pulled them away, there was blood coating my hands. I looked up at Magnus worriedly. He was giving me a look of confusion along with Simon and Jonathan. “You don’t see the blood? How can you not see the blood? It’s all over my hands!”

                “Biscuit,” Magnus murmured. “These hallucinations are getting out of hand. There is no blood.”

                I searched his eyes for any hint of lying. He was telling the truth. “Please don’t take me to the hospital. I don’t want to be away from Jonathan. Or any of you for that matter.” I burst into tears. “Please don’t let them take me.”

                Jonathan’s eyes found mine and all I saw in them was heartbreak and concern. “We’re not sending you anywhere and you’re sure as hell not being taken. We’ll figure this out, Clare, together. Magnus has connections at the hospital. He could see if they could get someone to evaluate you without putting you in the loony bin. They’ll give you medication.”

                I nodded and curled into the fetal position. Was I crazy? Were the hallucinations really getting out of hand? I haven’t had any for days. The last one I had involved Valentine coming into the house during dinner and threatening to kill me just like he did mom.

                The rest of the day went by rather quickly. Before I knew it, it was time for Jonathan to drop me off at the Lightwoods’. We rode in silence to the house. There wasn’t really much to talk about anyway. When we arrived, Isabelle, Alec, and Jace were outside with who I presumed to be Max, their little brother. Jonathan pulled into the driveway, catching their attention. Max was the first to run over. He hugged me as soon as I got out of the car.

                “You must be Clary,” he said.

                I chuckled. “That I am.”

                Max peeked around me at Jonathan. Jonathan bent down to be eyelevel with him. “I have a job for you, little man.” The little boy raised an eyebrow, interested. “I’m going to need you to keep a close eye on Clary for me. Even Isabelle. Jace and Alec will be with me so you’ll be the only boy in the house with the exception of your dad. Which means, it’s up to you to protect the women. Think you can handle that?”

                My brother is entrusting me to a nine year old. Max beamed at Jonathan and saluted him. “Yes, sir!” 

                Jonathan laughed and ruffled his hair. Max ran back inside. Alec, Isabelle, and Jace joined Jonathan and me by the car. Their bags were already outside, so they placed them in the car. Jonathan grabbed my bag and headed inside, asking Isabelle where her room was.

                “I could get that, Jon,” I said, mock irritated. I could never really be irritated with Jonathan. It was impossible.

                Jonathan looked at me and rolled his eyes playfully. “Well, Clare, you can’t. You decided to pass out today which means that it could happen again and I don’t want that to happen while you’re carrying a bag full of girly supplies.”

                Isabelle shook her head with a smile and directed Jonathan to her room. I was about to follow when a hand grasped my bicep. Jace’s eyes were filled with concern. “If you need to talk, know that I’m here. I’ll listen. I’ve . . . been in your shoes before,” his voice lowered. “It usually helps if you talk about what you saw.”

                “I already talked about it.”

                Jace shook his head. “ _Really_ talk about it, Clary. How you felt about what you saw, etcetera.”

                I shrugged and wiggled out of Jace’s grasp before running after Jonathan and Isabelle. I didn’t look back because I knew that if I did I’d see Jace looking hurt or something like that. When I found Jonathan and Isabelle, they were inside the Tardis. Jonathan was marveling at how well constructed it was. He was a secret Doctor Who fan. I found him watching it at midnight daily. He won’t admit it though.

                “Isn’t it amazing?” I asked Jonathan.

                He nodded furiously. “Extremely amazing. How this was accomplished is beyond me.” We were all silent for a moment. “Clary, I’m serious, if anything happens call me. Don’t call anyone else first. Not even Luke.”

                This time it was me who nodded. “I promise, Jon. You’ll be the first person I call if anything happens. Now get out of here. Jace and Alec are waiting downstairs for you.” Max came barreling toward us after Jonathan walked out of Isabelle’s bedroom.

                “Do you guys want to watch Doctor Who with me?” He asked shyly.

                Both Isabelle and I grinned at the little boy. “Of course! And we can watch it here.” Isabelle pressed a button and a flat screen appeared.

                Max fist pumped. “Yes! Okay, I’m going to get my sonic screwdriver.” He ran out.

                Who would have known that Max was a little Whovian?

                The night passed with ease. Max, Isabelle, and I watched episode after episode until all of the seasons were finished. Even the originals. “So . . . What do you guys think of Clara?”

                “Hate her,” Isabelle and Max replied at the same time. They high fived and flashed their sonic screwdrivers.

                Out of nowhere, the Tardis started going off. I looked at Isabelle with furrowed eyebrows. Who could that be? Isabelle raised an eyebrow at the look I was giving her. “Didn’t you hear the Tardis go off?”

                Isabelle shook her head. As did Max. “It’s been quiet, Clary.”

                I shivered and tentatively stood, scared of what my mind would create tonight. Isabelle followed suit and I pushed the Tardis door open. There stood mom with blood trickling down the side of her mouth. Her clothes were bloodied and her face looked beaten. My hand flew to my mouth and I backed up.

                “Clary? What’s wrong?” Isabelle grabbed my arm, worried. She looked behind her. “Max, get my phone. I need to call─”

                “No!” I cried sharply. I gathered myself and shakily said, “Please do not call Jonathan. I don’t know what just happened. I thought I saw something.” It was just a hallucination. Just a hallucination. “I was wrong. There isn’t anything there.”

                Isabelle looked torn. “He said to call if anything happened. This is included in ‘anything’.”

                “Please,” I pleaded with her. “I’ll tell him tomorrow.”

                She closed her eyes and sighed. “All right. Let’s set up for bed and watch a movie.”

                For the rest of the night, both Isabelle and Max kept a close eye on me. I knew I’d have to explain sometime. Max was curled up beside me with Isabelle on his other side. I awed at how cute he looked when he slept. He looked adorable. Once he was out for the night, Isabelle turned on Dexter and we were so engrossed in it that we didn’t even realize it was morning.

                We’d watched Doctor Who and Dexter all night. Jonathan was going to kill me for sure. I probably have dark circles under my eyes knowing my luck. Isabelle looked at me and we started laughing. Neither of us were tired to be completely honest. It was weird hanging out with another girl all night. I’d only ever had Simon, Magnus, or Jonathan. We stood carefully, not wanting to wake the sleeping boy.

                Someone was in the kitchen when we headed down for breakfast. It was Isabelle’s father, Robert. He was making pancakes, French toast, and bacon. Robert offered us some, which we gratefully accepted. Max actually joined us with Maryse a half hour later. We all sat at the dining room table with tons of food surrounding us. It felt nice to be a part of that. Especially since I’ve never really had family moments like that. And if I did, it was only with my brother and guardian.

                “So, Clary, Isabelle tells me that you’re also a huge Doctor Who fan?”

                I nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes, Mrs. Lightwood.”

                Maryse smiled. “Please. Call me Maryse.”

                Again, I nodded. “Okay,” I smiled. “Thank you so much for the breakfast! It tasted amazing.”


End file.
